


Raising Dead

by FlatlinedGamer



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Common Sense, F/M, Sarcasm
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-10
Updated: 2014-12-09
Packaged: 2018-02-28 21:14:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2747333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlatlinedGamer/pseuds/FlatlinedGamer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The world has finally ended and Erin doesn't really care. She's got a plan and the only thing standing in the way of her survival is a few million zombies. Piece of cake, right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One: Some Things Never Change

**Author's Note:**

> Rating is subject to change in later chapters.

**Raising Dead**

**Chapter One: Some Things Never Change**

_Some say the world will end in fire,_

_Some say in ice._

_From what I've tasted of desire_

_I hold with those who favor fire._

_But if it had to perish twice,_

_I think I know enough of hate_

_To say that for destruction ice_

_Is also great_

_And would suffice._

_-Robert Frost_

I sat crouched in my back yard trying to decide if I really wanted to get out of the heat. I loved days like this, where most people were inside enjoying the AC. I turned to look behind me as I heard the dirt shuffle, only to see my brother standing there looking rather grave.

"Be careful around sick people. There's another virus spreading and they're saying it's 100% deadly." Chris turned to walk back to the house. He normally would have stood and talked to me, but something was up.

"You don't think it could be what I think it is, do you?" I asked, sounding uncertain, even to myself.

"They haven't said much about it. It's not like when Bird Flu and Swine Flu started up. They aren't telling much about this." He looked at me and I knew he was worried. Chris had a wife and two little girls to think of and then there was me. His only family member left.

"Shall we go over the plan again? With Krystal in the room this time? Just in case." I questioned.

"Yeah. I think we should. You gotta collect eggs first." With that he walked off, headed for the house. I stood up and followed after him to grab the basket I collected them in. Damn, this was looking ugly and it hadn't really even started good yet.

* * *

There are some places in this world that a person trying to look out for their family should never live. There are places where the worst can happen from one small incident. This wasn't one of those small things. We could see it getting bad right before our eyes, but we had to wait the first wave out. We went over our plans as things got worst.

The broadcasts were vague at first. Then people started acting crazy, like it was the end of the world. We had told ourselves that we would never become victims of our world, that so long as we stuck to the plan it would be ok.

That was what I had thought. Well, up until it came time to part ways.

My brother had decided it was time to split up. He was taking his family north of our infested city. Montgomery was a death trap for us and since we lived too close to the already over run airport and air force base, it was time to move on for the time being and look for greener pastures. Two broadcasts kept overlapping on the radio. One from Birmingham, the other from Atlanta.

"I'll take the one in Birmingham. Since you've been to Atlanta on the bus, you take that one. Just be careful, Erin." My brother squeezed my arm, something he never did. He was scared something bad was going to happen to me.

"Go on. Krystal's getting impatient. I guess there are some things Zombies can't change. I'm gonna go check next door and see if anyone's home and see if they want to come along. I'll be ok, Chris. Don't worry." With that I smiled and walked to the fence. I had two of them to go over and I would be in my friend's yard. No walkers could get into the yard between her's and mine without doing a lot of work. Creepers weren't anything to worry about. An infant could out-crawl them.

I walked to the front door like I always did and raised my hand to knock. Fuck, that was a stupid idea! Knocking would just draw attention. I decided to use the stupid route and go through the window in her parents' room that was never locked. Once again, it wasn't locked.

I slid it open as silently as I could, trying hard not to make it sound like a walker trying to get in. Of course, that's easier said than done when you're five two and the window is at five foot. I crashed to the floor and heard her shriek from her room. Great, so much for that plan.

"Ayla, you ok?" I called, hoping it would keep her from freaking out any worst.

"Erin? Is that you? Please tell me it's you!" She hollered back at me.

I stood up and shook myself off while calling a quick 'yeah' to her. Shouldn't her parents be here? I walked to her room in the back of the house and stood in the door way.

"Shouldn't your mom and dad be here?"

"They left a couple days ago to see if the base was safe. They haven't come back yet. Is it really happening, Erin? Zombies?" My 16 year old friend was shaking. She hadn't had the time I did to adjust.

"Yeah it is, but everything's gonna be ok. You're like my little sister. Ain't shit gonna hurt you." I walked over and gave her a hug.

"You're southern is showing, Erin." Ayla snickered.

"Shh, you didn't hear that." I laughed lightly. I wanted to make as little noise as I could.

"So, you want to go to Atlanta with me?" I asked.

"It's time already?" I nodded at her question. "It doesn't look like they're coming back. Alive that is."

"If they've been gone this long, I don't think so. I'm sorry Ayla, we have to go." I said, walking to her bedroom door.

"It's ok. You got everything you need packed?" She questioned.

"Yeah, I just need to find a safe way into Wal-Mart for some camping gear. My dad's stuff won't do us much good. Plus the truck will never make it to Atlanta, so we gotta find something better. I also need to see if the military surplus store has been raided. You know how Chris and I are about silenced firearms. If you want, we can cut the fence between the houses so your horses can get to the cow field."

"Yeah, sounds good"

* * *

The fences had been cut and everything that could be salvaged from Ayla's house was packed away in the back of my beat up little truck. We'd managed to come up with enough water, sodas, and prepackaged food to last us a few days, but we still needed to collect more. We gathered up more clothes since washing machines were out of the question. All in all we were ready to start 'looting'.

"So," I said looking over at Ayla as she climbed in the truck. "I think we should head for the military store first. We need silenced guns. Two machetes and my knives won't cut it. Pun not intended."

"What is it with you and silenced guns?" Ayla asked, looking confused.

"I've told you this before. If you shoot a gun that doesn't have a silencer on it you're pretty much ringing a dinner bell for every zombie within a mile. With a silencer you can take out your target and the ones around it won't even notice. Good enough?" I eyed her like I always did when I had to explain something to her more than once.

"Yeah," she said. "Good enough."

We got off to a slow start since my truck was such a piece of shit. It shuddered along slowly at first before picking up speed half way up the road. The gas station at the end of the street had zombies milling about. There was no way I was stopping there. I drove out onto the highway that our road ended at in hopes that it would be a quick way out to where I was going.

As we passed by the final stretch of fence at the airport Ayla let out a gasp. I looked over just long enough to see the hundreds of zombies that were pushing at the fence and trying to get to the truck. The fence almost looked ready to give out, but seeing as it  _is_ the airport I knew it wouldn't fall any time soon.

"Don't worry. They set it up so that a semi couldn't tear through the fence." I said, eyeing her from my seat.

"Are you sure?" Ayla asked, her voice shaking with worry.

"Trust me. I almost got into a wreck when I saw the semi hit the fence going about seventy." I said. She looked over at me like I had lost my mind, but said nothing else about it as we left the airport in our dust. We took the ramp heading onto interstate 65. I normally wouldn't take the main roads into town, but I had the feeling that if I took the right ones we'd be taking the path of least resistance. I was wrong.

The interstate was packed with cars and I wasn't taking my chances with trying to  _walk_ through it. Every car could have a zombie in it and we wouldn't know until it was almost too late. I turned the truck around and head back towards the way we'd come, cut across the grass onto the other side of the interstate, and headed down Mobile Highway. This was a fast shortcut that would take me under the overpass I'd just tried to take. I suddenly thought of something and started laughing like crazy.

"What's wrong with you?" Ayla asked, looking at me like I was gonna kill her.

"I was laughing at myself. We needed to go this way anyways because the military store is this way." I snickered again before continuing. "It's near Maxwell."

"Hey! You told me it wasn't." Ayla glowered.

"Sorry!" I laughed. "I just thought about it."

* * *

We stood outside the door to the military store staring at the sign hung on the door. 'Trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot in the head'. Something told me I should take it at face value and walk away, but at the same time I felt like we'd be ok. I opened the door and we stepped inside.

"HEY! Can't you read?" Someone yelled at us from the back of the store. Ayla ran for the door and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm sorry. I honestly didn't think anyone would still be here. Ya know, zombie apocalypse and all." I walked a little further in, pushing my luck.

"Damn, look at that. I thought it was gonna be some damn redneck asshole trying to raid my shop." A man stood up from behind a clothes rack. He was an old grizzled cowboy. In all honesty he reminded me of Kris Kristofferson.

"No, just me and my very young friend trying to survive this crap." I said with a sigh as I took a step closer.

"Hey! I'm not that young!" Ayla said with a hint of sass her voice as she walked to join me at my side.

"Young enough." I said with a triumphant smirk.

"Well, ladies both of y'all are way younger than myself." The old cowboy said with a grin on his face. "The names Whistler, Jake Whistler."

"That's quite the name you've got there old man." I grinned. "I'm Erin Coltz and this is Ayla Wolfe. You don't plan on shooting us do you? We are pretty harmless after all."

"Well, Erin, I think we're past the need to shoot anyone. Help yerselves to whatever you need."

"Got any silencers?" I said as I was looking around. "My brother and I always were big fans of silenced weapons."

"What kind of guns do you have?" He asked looking concerned.

"At the risk of sounding stupid, nothing but two machetes." I sighed.

"Well, that is a problem. I think I might have something for you." Jake headed over to the counter and pulled out a hard plastic case. "I originally got these for my granddaughters, but the virus got to them before I could." He opened the case and turned it around for us to see what was inside. "These are Beretta PX4 Storms Type F. There are two for each of you. They're modified for silencers and I have a few that are small enough to fit them. They each have custom leg holsters to fit them and two extra clips for each gun plus the ones already in them. Each clip fits 20 rounds in 9mm and seventeen rounds of .40 caliber Smith & Wesson. They're light enough that you ladies should have no problems with them."

He handed them over to us and I couldn't help but marvel over the weight. They only weighed around two pounds each and they were beautifully balanced. I didn't know much about guns, but I did know when the balance sucked, how to shoot decent, and how to clean them.

We collected up a few more things we needed like ammunition, food, and a few bits of body armor. I had outfitted myself so that my back and shoulders were protected well, with medium protection in the front. I opted for a pair of comfortable and light weight steel toe boots, rather than my moccasin boots that had no foot support. Ayla decided to walk behind me and grab all the same stuff. Knowing that I knew what I was doing.

"So, tell me again why you're giving us all of this and not keeping much for yourself?" I asked as I laced up my new boots.

"Well, as smart as you are, I'd never forgive myself for letting a 22 year old and her 16 year old friend go out there alone. I just completed your list in one stop." Jake said. I had to admit he was right. We did need someone to help us out along the way and watch our backs. I can't watch Ayla's and my own at the same time.

"Ok then. We ready to go?"

We had gotten off to a great start. Jake had a slightly older dodge pickup, but at least it was in far better condition than my beat up little Mazda.


	2. Chapter Two: Every Day is exactly the same

**Raising Dead**

**Chapter Two: Every Day is exactly the same**

For the past few days we'd been stuck in what seemed like a horrible rut. I never thought I'd complain about the zombie apocalypse, but I am now. I was tired of sitting in Jake's truck, watching the scenery change one moment, then back track to something I'd already seen every time we had to switch routes. People had tried to escape the virus in all directions and it was making it really hard to just pass over the state line.

Under normal circumstances it would have only taken an hour to get as far as La Grange, Georgia. As it was we were still in Alabama and only two miles from the state line. We had to find new routes and it was taking forever. Jake constantly cussed the stupidity of people. As for me, I was cussing about how bad my ass hurt from sitting the truck for days. It was difficult to find somewhere we could stop and rest for more than ten seconds without almost getting eaten and that was just in the areas that had small populations.

I was glad we had the old man along. I would have given up and gone home days ago. Jake knew the different routes into Georgia far better than I did and he finally found a way around mass pile up of cars. As a treat and a lesson in watching your ass for Ayla, we stopped at a rest stop that seemed to be deserted. I wasn't so sure that it was, but I wasn't going to complain.

"So," I said as we climbed out of the truck. "Do we get to raid the vending machine when we leave?"

"How the hell do you plan to do that?" Jake asked. He gave me a look that said running it over with the truck was out of the question.

"Well, seeing as the front in made out of Plexiglas, I was thinking that we could use the crowbar to pry the lock off and the door open." I said. I wondered if that would even work, but making a lot of noise was out of the question. "I know we can do it with the soda and water machines, so why not the vending machine?"

Ayla gave me a look that pretty much said she couldn't see me as a looter before all this happened. "I'll help. It sounds like a good idea, but why do we have to wait until we leave?"

"Just in case we make a lot of noise." Jake stated. "We want to get what we need to do done before we go drawing attention to ourselves."

"Right. So, let's get to it!"

We planned on getting showers since we had been packed into a truck for days. If we ran into any zombies the plan was forfeit and we'd leave. We were to too uncertain about the area to try and wait out the zombies. We each gathered our clothes and headed for our respective showers. Ayla and I to the Ladies room and Jake to the other side of the building. I hoped the old man would be ok on his own. I was already starting to think of him as family. Hell, we had already started calling him Uncle Jake and he didn't care so long as weren't calling him grandpa.

I had one of my guns out as we walked into the rest room. Ayla stayed behind me and made sure nothing could sneak up on us. We checked every corner, stall, and shower until I was satisfied there were no zombies in our side of the building. But just when we were about to finally get our showers we heard Jake yell for us.

We ran to were Jake was and saw what he was yelling about. Standing in front of him was what had once been a little girl. Her throat had been ripped out and one of her legs were ripped apart making it impossible for her to move very fast. Ayla gasped and stepped back. I stood my ground. The girl shuffled forward, going straight for Jake. He had his gun held up, but his hands were shaking. "Chrissy. No, no, no. Not Chrissy." He repeated over and over. My only guess was that she was one of his granddaughters. I grieved for the old man. This wasn't something he needed to be faced with.

"Come on Jake. Let's get out of here and shut the door." I pulled him with me. He still held the gun in his shaking hands. We pulled him out of the men's room and locked the door behind us. All his clothes were on a bench outside the door, so we didn't have to worry about going back in.

Once outside the door, Jake slid down wall and buried his face in his hands. "You girls go get you're shower. I'll get mine after you come out." We did as he said. We could hear the gunshots once we had turned the water on. I understood what he had done. Chrissy was his granddaughter and there for his problem to deal with. That was a rule of the Zombie Apocalypse after all. Deal with your own family-turned-zombie. If it ever came to that with my family I wouldn't ask anyone else to do it for me. It would be my problem.

Ayla and I left the rest room and I squeezed Jake's arm as he passed us to take his shower. I didn't envy him his courage. I walked outside to look around before I tried to pry the vending machines open. Jake had pulled the truck up to the doors in case we ran in to trouble and had to get away fast. It was a smart idea and one I would have done myself.

I peeked around the corners of the building to see if there was anything close to us. To my relief, there were no zombies in sight. I walked back to the truck and pulled the crowbar out of the toolbox mounted in the bed. Ayla walked out the door looking rather morose, but I couldn't blame her. She had seen her first zombie up close and it didn't help that it had been a little girl.

I walked to the vending machine and looked the lock over. It was your standard candy and junk food filled machine. It wasn't padlocked like most of the ones I'd seen before, but this one was just a bit newer. I could see the lock which meant I just needed to wedge the crowbar in behind the lock. I wedged it in behind the lock and pushed. The noise it made seemed loud to me, but honestly it wasn't that bad. If there were any zombies near the building, they wouldn't notice it. The door popped open and slammed into my leg. Just my luck, huh?

I gasped at the pain, but I tried hard not to yell and cuss like I wanted to. My leg wasn't even close to being broke, I'd live. I limped my way back over to the truck and grabbed my bag as Ayla took one of her's and started filling it up with food. I tossed her my bag and grabbed the crowbar to start working on the drink machines. They worked the same way and I had them open in no time. Minus the bashing my leg with the door.

I saw it coming before Ayla did. The zombie had come around the corner of the building and I could see it through the glass of the vending machine Ayla was working on. The thing's face was twisted and gross. I stopped paying attention there. I pulled one of my Berettas free and shot. The bullet caught it in the right side of its forehead and basically blew off the side of its head. Ayla looked on in shock. She had just enough sense not to scream at what had just happened.

"The silencer worked perfectly." I stated. I had earned a shocked look from Ayla and I knew why. This was my first kill. I hadn't panicked and I got a head shot. I won't lie. At that point my hands  _were_ shaking. I drew in a breath. "Damn. That thing scared the shit out of me."

"Oh my God, I can't believe that just happened. I didn't even see it. I would have died." Ayla rambled. I have to give her credit. She didn't scream and I almost had. "Erin, you saved my life!" She gushed as Jake walked out the door.

"Ugh, don't you ever listen? I told you I wouldn't let anything hurt you. Didn't I?" It was more a statement than a question.

"Good job, Erin." Jake muttered behind me. I exchanged a look with Ayla. He was still upset. "Let's get this stuff in the truck and get the hell out of here. Hell'll freeze over before I come back here." Jake gathered up as many water bottles as he could and still have one hand free in case he needed to go for his gun.

There were no more problems at the rest stop and before long we were on our way again. I was left too much time to think about what had happened back there.

* * *

We had been on the road for over an hour and the sun was killing my eyes. I was too short to pull the visor down and fix the problem. I decided to do something that had started my odd fashion sense. I reached into the backseat and grabbed my bag from where it sat next to Ayla's feet. She was fast asleep and snoring. I smiled as I dug through my bag. She deserved to get some sleep and have a carefree moment. She was 16 and by all rights she should have pitched a fit when I told her we couldn't wait it out and see if her parents came back.

I knew they were dead, even if she didn't think they were. The base and airport were two of the first places in Montgomery to be overrun by the infected and people trying to escape it. It had quickly become a death trap. I felt sorry for anyone that thought they'd find refuge there.

I finally managed to dig my eyeliner out of the bottom of the bag. The Egyptians had it right when they wore thick kohl to protect their eyes from the sun. I was doing the same thing but not as thick. I didn't feel like turning into a raccoon until the heat did it for me.

"How long do you think the food and drinks will last?" Ayla asked suddenly. I suppose she had just woken up.

"Well, as long as we don't pig out, the food should last at least a week. The drinks will go a little faster since it's summer and there are three of us. We need to try and drink as little as possible within reason. We don't need to dehydrate ourselves just to save water and soda." Jake told us.

"Seems fair." I said. "I'm gonna try to get a little sleep. Wake me up if anything happens." I curled up in the seat as best I could and closed my eyes.

 


	3. Chapter 3: Wake the Dead

**Raising Dead**

**Chapter 3: Wake the Dead**

I finally woke up several hours later feeling like shit. My neck hurt something awful and I really needed a good stretch. The truck was still moving, so I guessed things were going well. Well, that was until Jake started slowing down.

"Ladies, we need gas and we need it bad." Jake announced. Ayla yawned in the back seat, having just woken up.

"So? Let's just siphon some fuel from the next car we pass." I said stretching out in the seat.

"We won't make it that far. There's a gas station about ten miles up the road. We might be able to siphon fuel out of the tanks if someone else hasn't already done it. If not, we're fucked and we'll be walking the rest of the way to Atlanta." Jake sighed. I knew he had to be tired. He'd driven since we left Montgomery and we hadn't stopped much for rest. I knew what had happened back at the rest stop was weighing on his mind.

"It's just up this road right?" He nodded in confirmation. "Ok, I'll take over then. I'm sure I can try to get us there. If I have to coast in, then so be it." Jake simply grunted at me and got out to walk around to my side of the truck. I scooted across the center console and into the driver's seat.

It almost seemed like whatever bit of luck I had held out until we were close enough to the gas station to coast in. Of course, there were about seven zombies standing around it. Damn, it just figures!

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived. Problem is, we have company. Who's up for a little practice?" I asked cheerily.

"Well, it couldn't hurt for Ayla to learn how to shoot. We just have to be extra careful. Don't forget, count your damn bullets and keep your hands steady. We don't need any short zombies running around." Jake lectured. We knew not to get bitten. Sometimes that was easier said than done. In his own way he was saying he'd leave us and let someone else deal with our reanimated corpses. I didn't blame him.

"Way to be an optimist Jake." I muttered as I rolled the window down and started to climb out on the roof. Ayla snickered as she followed my lead. Once we were on the roof I slide one of my Berettas free and took aim at a zombie. I could see Ayla out the corner of my eye as she sidled up next to me and pulled out both Berettas like some old western hero.

"Oh great," I joked. "Not only do we have an old cowboy, but now we have a young cowgirl to match." I grinned at her as she frowned at me and put one of her Berettas away.

"Way to kill the moment Erin." She growled at me.

I took aim again and shot off a round, catching the zombie in the left side of its head. I had the feeling I was never going to get a dead center shot. Pun intended. I watched as Ayla took aim and fired, catching it in the top left side of its head.

"Good job. We both need lots of practice." I said as we slowly took out the rest of them, missing our mark here and there. I would have made a game of it, but I felt as though now wasn't the time. We'd play Hollywood Squares later. Right now we had gas to get.

* * *

Riding into Atlanta was one of the worst things we could have done. Jake had gotten his sleep and I'd gotten us most of the way there. We switched places in Peachtree City and continued on into hell itself. After a while I got tired of seeing zombie after zombie and fell asleep. My nightmarish dreams were interrupted by me slamming into the dashboard.

"What the fuck! Jake, what happened?" I asked, not realizing that the back passenger side door had just slammed shut.

"What's your name kid?" Jake asked, ignoring my question. I had no idea who he was talking to, until they spoke.

"Glenn. My name is Glenn. Thanks for the ride." What I now realized was an Asian guy, said as he looked around at us all.

"Oh." Was all I had to say. How was I supposed to know that we'd just picked someone up? I was asleep.

"You aren't bitten are you?" Ayla asked from beside him. She looked him over, wary but slightly interested. I rolled my eyes. Teenagers.

"No," he said. "I'd ask the same thing, but it looks like you guys are newcomers. Where did you guys come from?"

"Alabama." I said. "This is hardly the time to be asking what your home state is. So, what are you out here for? Seems pretty stupid."

"Supply run for the camp." Glenn said, looking at me oddly for the change in subject.

Ayla's eyes lit up at the prospect of other people. "There are more people? Where are they?"

Glenn laughed at how excited she was. "My path was kinda blocked on my way back. I'll show you guys the way if you want."

"I don't thi-" I cut Jake off with a look and jerked my head in Ayla's direction. "I don't think that's a bad idea." He finally said. "We have more supplies than what we really know what to do with as it is. I'm sure we can help out somehow."

"Great!" With all said and done, Glenn showed Jake how to get to the camp. When we finally got there Glenn jumped out first to get everyone together. I could see an argument starting and I decided now was the time to get out of the truck. I'd stand up for Glenn even though I didn't trust him yet. He'd led us to safety and it only seemed right. I walked towards Glenn and the guy that was yelling at him.

"What seems to be the problem gentlemen?" I asked. Jake and Ayla had followed my lead and were now standing on either side of me.

"We can't take on more people! It's hard enough as is it to feed the people we got. What are we going to do with three more?" The dark haired guy was still yelling at Glenn.

"They brought supplies, Shane! The old guy said they had more than they knew what to do with. We can't turn that down! I can only bring so much back with me at a time without being walker bait." Glenn yelled back at the dark haired guy. I guess his name was Shane. I'm not too observant when it comes to names.

"The old guy wasn't lying when he said that either." Jake commented dryly.

"Fine," Shane snapped. "Introduce them to everyone and get the supplies sorted." He walked off in a fit. I already didn't like him, but I suppose it didn't matter. It seemed like he was the leader and I so was not taking orders from him.

"Dale!" Glenn called towards an RV parked not too far away from us. An older man walked out and his eyes lit up when he saw us. "I need your help getting everyone together. These are our newest members."

They gathered everyone up and I felt like I was on display. I was the oddest member of my little group after all. I didn't like the idea of standing in front of all these people like a freak show.

"I just realized I never asked what your names are." Glenn said, embarrassed.

"Jake Whistler."

"Ayla Wolfe."

"Erin Coltz."

After introductions were made we decided to try and make ourselves useful. However, it seemed no one really wanted  _my_ help. Jake was keeping Dale company on top of the RV. Ayla was helping Carol cut stuff up for dinner. I felt useless. I decided to make the best of it and climbed the latter to the top of the RV and flopped down between Jake and Dale's chairs.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked as though it was an everyday occurrence for us.

"I feel utterly useless. No one needs nor wants my help." I groused. Before all this happened I would have complained about having to do anything, but now I was twitchy if I wasn't moving around.

"That's ok," Dale said. "We could use a pair of young eyes up here. The walkers never come up here, but that doesn't mean they won't."

"What's a walker? I asked, confused.

"The walking dead." Dale replied. He looked at me as though I had lost my mine.

"Oh. I just call them zombies. That  _is_ what they are after all." I said. It hardly made sense to put a new label on something that already had a name. It didn't make sense before the world ended and it still didn't.

"Call it what you like. Some of our members just don't want to think of it that way." Dale said with a hint of finality in his voice. Apparently that wasn't a topic they talked about here.

"Ok then. So, who are the two loners over there?" I ask, pointing at what looked like a biker and a redneck.

"Oh, that's Merle and Daryl Dixon. I'd stay away from them. Both of you girls should. They're bad news." Dale said. He looked rather concerned that I'd try to become their best friend. Not a chance.

"No worries Dale. I'll definitely be staying far away from them." I said as I held my hands up in surrender. Honestly, I knew that not all bikers were bad people. Take my cousin for instance, I loved him to death and he was Wiccan. Talk about a strange combination.

"You should go warn Ayla. She's looking like she lost her best friend." Jake finally spoke. I had figured out that he was pretty quiet most of the time. Well, that's not entirely true. He's quiet around large groups of people like we were in now.

"Meh. You're just trying to get rid of me." I laughed as I stood up. "Doesn't matter. If I sit here for much longer I'll start looking like you two." I skipped away from the pair as they tried to swat at me for making fun of them. Once down the latter I made my way towards the other side of camp to find Ayla. She was sitting next to Amy by the fire.

"Why do you look like someone ran your dog over?" I asked as I walked up behind her.

"Erin!" She screamed and tackled me. I was fucking confused.

"Not that I really mind being attacked, but what the hell?" I cocked my head to the side as she pulled away from me.

"Shane told me you left. Just walked out of the camp and didn't look back. He wouldn't even let me try to find you." Ayla all but cried.

"Oh did he now?"

* * *

I was on a war path. I was about to rip into Shane as soon as I found him and find him I did. He was talking to one of the Dixon brothers about doing more hunting since there were more people in the group. I didn't care if he was arranging someone's funeral. He was fucked when I got to him. A few people had decided to follow and see what I did. That was a bad idea.

When Shane saw me he turned with a smile that was quickly wiped off his face when I grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down to my level. We had quite the crowd.

"Mother fucker if you so much as LOOK in Ayla's direction again I will beat your fucking teeth in. What the fuck was going through your head when you fucking told her I left? I didn't fucking leave. You and I both fucking know that. I was on top of the Gods damned RV with Jake and Dale. What the fuck were you thinking?" I screamed.

"It was a joke. It was a fucking joke!" Shane yelled back as he tried to pry his shirt from my grip.

"Don't you so much as fucking look in our direction ever again! Do you fucking understand me?" I growled.

"Or you'll what?" He snapped.

"I'll fucking hunt you down and castrate you in your fucking sleep! You bastard son of a Jackal whore." I shoved him back as far as I could and glowered at him. The elder Dixon brother laughed." What the fuck are you laughing at?" I snapped. Without waiting for an answer I stomped off toward the fire and Ayla.

"The fuck is that bitch's problem?" I heard as I walked off. I had the feeling my life here was going to get much worse, but that still didn't make it right for Shane to say something like that to Ayla. She was like my little sister. The only person I claimed outside my family. No one would hurt her so long as I was around and if they somehow did, I'd fucking make them pay for it in blood.

 


	4. Chapter Four: Same old same

**Raising Dead**

**Chapter Four: Same old same**

I knew I was moping. I just couldn't help it. Here and there I got amused looks, but Lori and Carl looked at me like I was a zombie. I tried to make friends, I really did. But that bastard had sealed his fate the moment he went against someone he knew nothing about.

We had set our tents up for the night with the hope of getting some sleep. Ayla slept like a brick, but I just couldn't seem to fall asleep. I didn't like sleeping when surrounded by strangers. I've always been like that and guess I always will be.

I decided that now was as good a time as any to search Jake's truck for my Mp3 player. It would die eventually, but at the moment I really needed to hear some music. I know I was breaking yet another rule of the zombie apocalypse, but it was worth it.

* * *

 

Days had gone by and I still didn't get along any better than I had days before. Glen ran a few more supply runs before Shane decided it would be better if more than one person went at a time. I thought it was the stupidest idea I had ever heard, but everyone looked to Shane for leadership. Who was I to contest that? I had been asked to go along, but I refused the offer.

I had other things to do. Like sit around with Ayla and attempt to make heads or tails of her math book and when that failed I decided we'd have a history lesson. I always did like history. The past things we had accomplished. The ideas we had once held. Things that didn't have much of a place in our world now.

"So you're telling me that D-Day was a huge massacre because the Germans knew the Allied Forces were going to land on  _that_ beach?" Ayla asked me.

"Well, there was more than one beach involved. It was the invasion of Normandy. Think about it though, it's really hard  _not_ to know you're being invaded when you're being bombed and what not. They also dropped paratroopers on the Germans—" I was cut off by the sound of Shane's voice. Ever the annoying reminder that I had embarrassed him in front of the whole group.

"History lessons over now. It's time to do some work. " He turned and addressed everyone in camp. "Here's how this is gonna work. Glen, take Andrea, Jacqui, Morales, T-dog, and Merle with you into the city. Daryl I want you to take Erin hunting with you." I almost choked on my own lungs.

"Wait, what?" We said, almost in unison.

"Stealth is not my forte. I'm short, pudgy, and very likely to run the game off before getting anywhere near close enough to kill anything. Besides that I've only got my Berettas. They're a bit loud even with the silencers on them and definitely overkill on squirrels." I finally stopped and took a breath.

"She said it, not me." Daryl quipped. "I doubt she could even keep up."

"As a smoker of three years I couldn't agree with that insult more." I sighed. I was better use in camp.

"Fine then. Erin I want you on watch with Dale and Jake." Shane went on to tell everyone else what he wanted them to do.

I couldn't help but laugh. I won and he lost. It was becoming a cycle and I can't say I wasn't pleased. I was indeed. I irritated him to no end because he couldn't claim leadership over me. I know it's pretty childish of me to think that way, but sometimes it's what needs to be done. For someone like me that likes to stand alone in the crowd it only makes sense that I'd make whoever was in charge's life miserable. Besides, I didn't think he deserved to hold that position. I had disliked the man from the moment I set eyes on him.

What was it my dad had told me once? First impressions don't mean shit in a firestorm. I think that was it. He was basically telling me that no matter how someone acts when you first meet them; their next action afterwards is how you should judge them. He had also said that what lies in someone's eyes can tell you everything. That it's important to look people directly in their eyes when you speak to them. He said to listen closely when you talk to someone. If you listen closely enough you can tell if they're lying because even they don't believe what they're saying. It was something about they're voice sounding kinda hollow or something like that.

I made my way over to the RV to hang out with the old guys. It was far better than trying to keep up with an ornery redneck. Ayla chose that moment to speak up.

"Hey! What about me?" Ayla threw her hands in the air and looked around at everyone.

Glenn, who had walked away, made his way back to Ayla and threw an arm around her shoulders. "You could come with me." He gave Ayla a half smile and winked at her. I stopped with one hand on the ladder. That just wouldn't do. Not at all.

"Taco says what? Not no but hell the fuck naw. That shit is not happening. My baby sister ain't going back into Atlanta so long as I'm alive." I snapped at Glenn as I stomped my way over to the pair. He looked at Ayla then back at me.

"But I'll take good care of her." Glenn pleaded with me. Ayla wrapped her arm around his waist before looking at me.

"Please?" She asked with a smile. I knew right then that she had a crush on Glenn. I wasn't completely against the idea, nor was I really all that happy about it. I'd known the girl her whole life and I knew her history with boys. It wasn't fantastic and I wasn't adverse to her finding love, but this was the fucking Zombie Apocalypse for Taco Bell's sake. Oh how I missed Taco Bell.

"I said no and that's the end of it. We have rules to follow and I'm making damn sure you follow them." I growled in annoyance.

Glenn looked down at Ayla, her mood had dropped and I was pretty sure she wanted to yell at me. However, she simply stomped off to our tent. Ayla didn't like to make a scene in front of people she didn't know all that well.

"Maybe you could let her go with me next time?" Glenn asked me. I was starting feel like I was Ayla's mom.

"Look, I can tell you like her and she likes you, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let her go to that infested cesspool that is Atlanta. Both of you will one day understand that it's for the best. It's not because I'm being mean or anything, it's because she's all I've got left until I manage to get in contact with my brother and his family again. Got it?" While lecturing isn't my strong point, I suppose I got my point across. Glenn nodded and walked away to get ready to leave. I on the other hand, needed to crawl my way to the top of the RV and help Jake and Dale.

"Welcome to the top of the world, Erin." Dale laughed as I climbed up.

"If this is the top of the world, where the hell are my noodles?" I asked in mock annoyance. Dale acted as though he was going to say something and then stopped.

"Do you think I did the right thing by telling her what she could and couldn't do?" I figured if anyone knew what was right or wrong it was these two old geezers.

"I think your heart was in the right place, but your wording could have been better." Jake said slowly. "She'll come to understand that what you did was for the best, but she may not forgive you entirely for how you said it."

"I was thinking the same thing." I sighed. "I've never been very good with words. I can speak eloquently, but that doesn't mean I can put words together in a way that doesn't offend people."

"Just relax. We'll let you know when it's your turn to take over." Dale said as he patted the lawn chair between them.

"Ok, but just for a little while." I said as I sat down and laid back. Before I knew it I was out cold.

* * *

 

What had to have been hours later I was rudely awoken by the sound of a car alarm going off. I sat up quickly and instantly regretted it. My skin was fried and knew to some extent I looked like a lobster. I looked in the direction the awful noise was coming from and stood up while reaching for my pack of cigarettes. Everyone was coming out of hiding to find out what was going on.

A candy apple red Dodge Challenger pulled close to the RV and Glenn climbed out the window. He was all smiles until people started yelling at him to turn it off. "I don't know how!" He yelled back over the horrible din.

"Shoot it in the hood." I yelled as I came down the ladder to check things out. Several people glared at me. "Kidding! Sheesh. Unplug it from the battery." I shouted in my defense.

Of course, I got several looks that said I shouldn't have known that. I didn't have a criminal background. I thought it was common sense, but I guess it was if your dad was a Jack of all trades. Jim did what I had said and the alarm shut off, he looked at me with a knowing smile. It was almost as if he was saying he knew I had someone in my family that worked on cars to some extent.

"What's going on out here?" Ayla asked, rubbing her eyes as if she'd been taking a nap. I watch as she smiled at Glenn in that silly way all girls do when they have a crush. What in the hell was I going to do with her?

Amy, who I had hardly paid any attention to thus far, was trying hard to get Glenn to tell her if he knew where her sister was. "Yes, she's fine. Everyone is. Well… Merle not so much." He said as Shane started to snap at him.

I grimaced. This was going to get ugly fast. I noticed a moving van pulling around and heading our way. Now was the time to shut everyone up. "Hey! The rest of the crew is back." I yelled, then quieted down when I had their attention. The first person out was Morales followed by Andrea, Jacqui, and then T-Dog. The last three had come from the back of the van, which left me wondering who the driver was. Merle didn't seem to be present.

I watched as everyone that had family hugged them and reassured them they were ok. I felt heart sick at the sight. "How'd y'all get out of there?" I heard Shane say, if a bit distantly. My mind was on other things, namely my brother and his family.

"New guy." I heard Glenn say from beside Ayla. I knew she had to be feeling the same way I did, though maybe not quite as bad since she had Glenn to lean on.

"New guy?" Shane asked, almost as if he hadn't heard him right.

"Yeah," Morales added in. "Some crazy bato that just got into town. Hey helicopter boy! Come say hello."

A deputy sheriff stepped out of the van. He looked uncomfortable to be looked at by so many people. I heard Morales say something else, but I saw the look on Shane's face and a light bulb went on. Shane knew the new guy. Moments past and I heard Carl scream for his dad. So that's who this guy was. He was Rick Grimes. I had heard Lori talk about him, but not very much and not often. Another family reunion and several dirty looks shot at Shane. Something was going on here and I wanted no part in it.

* * *

 

That night I found myself finally doing my job. It was my turn to watch while everyone else sat around their fires and chatted. Jake and Ayla sat around the fire that Rick was at, telling him our story no doubt. I had too much time to think about the very things I didn't want to. I wondered where my brother was. What had he encountered? Had he made it to Birmingham? Were my nieces alright? Was his wife alright? So many questions and not an answer to spare.

"Here kid." Jake said as he climbed up the latter. He handed me a plate of food and sat down next to me. "What's on your mind?" He asked me. He had learned when I was deep in thought, the look on my face when I was troubled.

"Nothing that hasn't been wrong with me before." I sighed. "I just can't help but wonder where my brother and his family are and what they're up to. If they're even alive anymore."

"It won't do you any good to get yourself depressed thinking like that. What ever happened to having morality issues?" Jake nudged me with his elbow.

"When it's my family it's different. I can't help but wonder how they are and what they're up to. It was like that when I moved out of state a few years ago. I ran my phone bill up bad and for some reason I saw that as a sign it was time to go home. Now here I am, years later, stuck in Georgia of all places. To add to it, I have to look after Ayla." I figured he'd get tired of my whining, but this old man didn't give in that easy.

"I didn't think I'd be looking after two girls I'm not related to, but here I am and I can't say I'm too upset about. The two of you are giving me a reason to keep on living. I'd say that's pretty good in my books." Jake smiled and headed off to bed. Unfortunately, it started to rain.

For the rest of the night Jake and Dale would come out and check on me. I know they were checking to see if I'd fallen asleep on the job, but I managed to stay awake until Dale woke up. He told me to head to bed and get some sleep.

* * *

 

I didn't wake up until what looked to me to be around one in the afternoon. I wasn't too pleased about it, but I guess it just meant I'd be taking the graveyard shift again tonight. Jake informed me that I'd missed the chance to show off my skills in Atlanta and when I looked confused he told me that Rick had taken a couple of people back into the city. Apparently they'd gone back after Merle and I couldn't help but laugh at Jake. There was no way in hell I'd have helped find the bastard. He'd made a few passes at me and I hadn't been too pleased about it.

I had also apparently missed the appearance of a zombie. I'd missed a lot that morning. I'd also managed to fuck up another rule. Don't sleep if think you won't hear the zombies coming. Ayla still wasn't talking to me and she wasn't happy that Glenn had gone back into the city. I felt at a loss as to what to do with her.

An hour later I found myself heading down to the quarry. When I arrived the other women of the camp were washing clothes and complaining about the division of labor. All the while Ed watched over everything. I didn't like the way he was looking at everyone, but it wasn't really my place to make him stop.

"Need any help?" I asked, knowing they wouldn't let me.

"That's ok honey; you'll be the one watching over us like a fried angel while we sleep tonight." Jacqui laughed.

I grinned widely at her. "I almost swear those aren't horns holding my halo up. You can blame those two old farts for letting me sleep in the sun. I look like those old cartoon devils." I could laugh at myself all day long. They went back to their complaining, with a bit of mine thrown in here and there.

When they started talking about what they missed, several things went through my mind. I had a lot to miss. There was one thing, after you removed the fact that I missed my family, that I missed the most.

"I miss Taco Bell." I groused. The conversation seemed to go way downhill from there. I had moved off to another part of the bank to skip rocks. I watched as Ed made some snide comment at everyone, but at the same time I noticed Lori having it out with Shane farther away. This group had drama and I wanted nothing to do with it. I went back to skipping rocks. A few moments later the violence started. There was a commotion with Ed in the middle of it all. I quickly made my way over to stop things from getting worst.

"Ed, back off!" I shoved at his shoulder and a few breaths later I found myself on the ground. Shane had come over to see what was going on, but he ended up dragging Ed away and beating the shit out of him. I dragged myself up off the ground, but I was in no hurry to stop Shane. I hated both men and I'd just as soon see them both dead. I wiped at my busted lip and was thankful Ed hadn't ripped one of my lip rings out when he hit me. There would have been hell to pay. The rest of the day was uneventful and I soon found myself back on top of the RV watching over everyone.

 


	5. Chapter Five: Walk Unafraid

**Raising Dead**

**Chapter Five: Walk Unafraid**

* * *

I sat in my chair atop the RV with Dale's gun in hand, while looking at the darkness around the camp. The only light to be seen was from the campfires, but the people around them cast long shadows that made it a bit hard to distinguish whether anything was really moving in the woods. If it weren't for the fact that I didn't hear anything moving I would have sounded the alarm long ago.

I listened to the group as they talked and moved about below me. It seemed they were having a great time eating the fish Andrea and Amy had caught. I could hear talk of what Jim had done all day and how he had scared everyone with his grave digging. Personally, I didn't care. What bothered me is the fact that he almost killed himself in the heat. It made me wonder why he did it. What had driven him to do it.

I sat contemplating it a while longer before giving up and leaning back in my chair. The stars had become so much brighter since the mass loss of electricity. It was almost warming to know that I had almost the same view here that I'd had back home years ago when the power had gone out during a brown out in Montgomery. The heat had melted most of the power lines in the city and even though I lived down the road from the city's only airport, the view of the stars had been amazing that night.

The next thought to come to my mind was a word that had no place in the word now. Safe. These people thought they were safe here. I knew better. Well, they had thought they were safe until the walker had showed up on their little mountain. It had been a sad loss of a deer from what I had heard, but that didn't mean much to me.

My thoughts were uninterrupted by Ayla climbing up the latter. She was the last person I expected to find her way up there.

"You know," Ayla paused to think over what she wanted to say. "I've been thinking about the way we've both been acting lately. I've decided that you're right. I don't need to go into the city. I do need to watch my back here. This place isn't safe no matter what."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where did that come from?" I asked, shocked. "Last I checked you didn't want to talk to me. I was ruining your life and standing in your way." I was genuinely confused.

"I said I thought about it. You've never been wrong, so why would you start now?" She looked sad, like something else was eating at her. I knew exactly what it was.

"I miss my family too. Every night I sit up here and I wonder if they're ok. I've even wonder if we made the right choice in coming here. In leaving our little slightly safe area. I wonder if your parents made their way back only to find you gone. It sucks to have all that on my mind." I sighed the last few words.

"If you hadn't come and got me I'd be dead by now. You remember what we saw at the airport. There's no way they could have survived that. Not with how many walkers were there. I'm better off with you and you know that. I would have run out of food before now. Don't discredit yourself and don't over think your choices. You did the right thing and I know I may not be the easiest person to look after, but I'm with you all the way. I won't question you again because I know you're right." Ayla leaned over and gave me a hug. "You're like the older sister I never had. You might piss me off, but in the end you're just looking out for me."

"I'm glad you're finally seeing things in my perspective. I didn't want things to come down to another fight." I smiled and leaned back in my chair. "What else is on your mind. I know that's not the only reason you came up here."

Ayla frowned. "I'm worried about Glen and the others."

"Yeah, I've been thinking about the wisdom behind going back after that jackass. I don't like the looks of him. I'm hoping the walkers got him." I snorted.

"Erin! That's mean." She paused. "I guess I'm mean too."

I sighed before propping my feet up on a bucket Dale had put up there for that very reason. "No sense in worrying about it now. Thoughts can't be taken back any better than words can. I meant it though. He's bad for the group. He's a supply hog. Apparently we have several of those in the group."

"You mean Ed." It wasn't a question. She'd heard what happened.

"Yeah, and he's just one of them. Let's not get into that though. They could easily say the same about us. Although we do our share of work around here I'm sure someone thinks we don't do enough. Or, at least, that I don't do enough." I laughed. I was by no means secure in my position in the group. Chances were that I never would be.

I could hear Dale reciting some obscure quote or another. "Well said Dale!" I yelled before hearing laughter and being told that Dale and I were weird. Before long I could hear someone walking to the RV and poked my head over to see Amy making her way in. I sat back and sighed at the silence. Something seemed off. In some way abnormal. No bugs, no nothing. I froze as I was about to reach for my water.

"We're out of toilet paper?" I heard Amy say. But that wasn't it. Something was very, very wrong. Then I heard the moans.

I stood up too fast and almost fell. "Shit!" I yelled, just as I heard Amy scream. She was bitten. "Ayla, do you have your gun?" I was moving to the side of the RV, but I made no move to go down the latter.

"Yes." I heard her whimper.

"Get over here and start shooting. We've got company! What ever you do, don't get off the RV." I pulled Dale's gun over my shoulder and pulled my Beretta free of its holster, took aim, and started taking down walkers. It was pure chaos as people tried to run only to be bitten. I took out as many as I could before I heard the click I was dreading. "Shit! I left the rest of my ammo in the tent!"

"Erin, don't leave me!" Ayla screamed behind me as she took out another walker.

"I won't." I looked around at the hell that the camp had become. "EVERYONE GET TO THE RV!" I screamed as I saw them already making their way there. I pulled Dale's gun from my shoulder and started firing. I refused to stand idle while people died around me.

"Jake!" I heard Ayla scream as her clip ran out. I looked to see the older man trying to beat his way through the mass of corpses. Without a second thought I started killing the walkers around him. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if he died. He was like family to us and we to him. If I could help it, he WOULD survive.

I could hear the sound of Shane's shotgun firing. I could hear the sound of a bat crushing the walker's skulls. I could hear Jake's colt with each shot he took... and then I heard a new sound. Several of them. The others had returned and we were being rescued. I could hear myself scream as I jumped off the RV, ignoring the latter.

"Jake, Jake. Are you ok? Did they get you?" I could hear myself asking.

"I'm fine. It's ok. Those bastards didn't get me, but they got most of the group. There was nothing I could do. Is Ayla ok?" He was out of breath from running, but he still managed to answer.

"Yeah, she's fine. She was on top of the RV with me when it all started." I sighed with relief. He was ok. Everything was going to be ok.

"Good. She was in good hands. Lets find out what the hell is going on."

"I remember now. Why I dug the holes."

* * *

Dead. So many dead. So much crying. But I couldn't bring myself to cry for those that had died. They had found an escape from this world. One that I would never find because I didn't want it. Ayla stood beside me and Jake beside her. The three of us couldn't bring ourselves to shed a single tear. I dropped my head in mock sorrow. I couldn't let the rest of the group see just how dead my eyes were. I felt nothing for those that had died. There was no reason to.

For the rest of the night we changed watch every hour. No one could sleep and come morning no one even tried to. I helped burn the walkers when they asked. I listened when they talked about shooting Amy before she turned. I listened to Glen scream about our people being buried Tempers and emotions in general were running high and hot. I heard that Jim was bit. What good did it do to hassle him?

There was talk of killing Jim. Talk of the CDC. Talk of a fort I had no will to go to. Too much sadness and anger for me. I asked Ayla to come to the tent with me so we could talk and clean our guns. She saw it as the perfect escape and followed me there.

* * *

"Would anyone like to say some words?" Rick asked what was left of the group. Everyone stayed silent. It was like if they spoke something bad would happen to them all. I made my choice and spoke what came to mind.

"I walk unafraid in the shadows of death, so I may find my path.

I walk unafraid against the demons of the past, so I may find my path.

I walk unafraid through the waters of sorrow, so I may find my path.

I walk unafraid so that I may find my way home and let nothing hold me back."

I heard several 'Amen's' when I finished. Jake gave me a knowing look. It wasn't a prayer for the dead. It was a reminder for the living. Whatever home would become, we would find our way there.

Jake had already told us to pack our stuff. We started on the inside and moved to the outside. Jake told us the whole group would be leaving, we were just getting a head start on packing.

When it was almost time to go I heard Morales say his family was going to Birmingham. My hopes flew all at once.

"Morales, could you do me a favor when you get there? I asked him. Unsure if he'd help me.

"Sure kid. What do you need?" I could tell he was confused so I pulled my wallet out of my pack and removed a picture from it.

"If you see them, could you tell them I'm ok and that I've got Ayla with me? Could you also tell them where we're going? I miss my brother and his family and even though I can't tell them myself, I'd still like for them to know I'm ok. That we're ok." My eyes pleaded with him.

"Yeah, I'll tell them if I see them. Go on Bama girl. You've got places to go and walkers to kill." He grinned. I gave Morales and his wife a hug before heading for the truck. I didn't want to watch the tearful goodbye the others had with them. I just wanted to get on the road.

* * *

Once on the road it didn't last long. The radiator hose on the RV blew and we had to stop. I wasn't happy about it but we had no choice. I watched as Jim was carried up a hill and sat under a tree. I closed my eyes. I knew what this meant He was still alive, but he had made his choice. He wanted to be left behind. Another death among friends.

Soon we were moving again. Going where we needed. Doing what had to be done.

 


	6. Chapter Six: I Am the Highway

**Raising Dead**

**Chapter Six: I Am the Highway**

* * *

 

"We're here." Those were the words that woke me up when the truck stopped moving. We had arrived at the CDC just before nightfall. I didn't like the circumstances already. We had very little time to convince someone to let us in and that we weren't infected. I didn't see this going well at all.

We made our way toward the front of the building. Most of us, including myself, were fighting hard not to gag at the smell of rotting flesh. Whatever had happened here didn't end well. It just added to the feeling we'd be leaving just as quickly as we'd come.

Rick's pleas for us to be let in scared me a bit. It also solidified my resolve to leave this place. If he was looking for a haven, he wouldn't find it. Not in this world and not at this time. Maybe I was being a little morbid, but I didn't see how anyone could be as naïve as the people in this group were. The kids had a reason to be. Hell, even Ayla had a reason, but the rest of us didn't have the right to hope like that. We should have known better. But that nagging little voice in the back of my head always had to ask, in the voice of a child, _Why not?_

_Shut up,_ I told the voice as light flooded around us. The doors had been opened and everyone was running to get what they felt they needed to take in. I stood at the doors and watched everyone's backs as they ran back and through the doors. I followed quickly behind everyone and as soon as the doors closed I felt like it was finale. That feeling was ridiculous. Couldn't we just go back out the way we came?

The feeling came from being trapped in a building that housed thousands of viruses. Frozen, yes. But power failure could thaw them quickly. I knew I was just being paranoid. Something that's not uncommon for me.

We walked in further, looking for whoever had opened the security door. It was a bit disturbing when no one can forward. Again, something that threw me off. Once again I felt like I was just being paranoid.

"Anybody infected?" Someone shouted. It was an unfamiliar voice and I couldn't place where it came from. Tere was too much echo in the building.

"One of our group was." Rick answered. "He's not with us anymore."

The owner of the voice stepped out where we could see him before questioning us further. "Why are you here? What do you want?"

All I could think was  _Don't say it Rick. Please don't say it._  It was a plea that went unanswered.

"A chance." He told the man.

"That's asking an awful lot these days." The man told him. I couldn't help but agree with him.

"I know." Was Rick's only answer. I could almost hear the desperation within the group. It told me just how far we'd fallen in such a short amount of time. We were starving, I'll admit that, but it wasn't cause for this. For coming here. I knew, right then, that I was just as desperate as everyone else. I'd have to swallow my pride and follow along.

* * *

 

Sometime later we found ourselves sitting around a table, drinking wine, and cracking up. I still wasn't comfortable enough, with the place or the people around me, to relax and enjoy myself. Instead I sat off to the side humming I Am the Highway by Audioslave.

"Erin!" I finally hear Ayla yell my name and my head snaps up.

"Huh?" I look at her confused.

"It's your turn." She tells me.

"My turn for what?" I ask her, still confused.

"Tell your story. I told them mine with little parts of yours thrown in." Ayla laughs.

"I'm scared to find out what you told them while I was lost in my own little world. Well, what does everyone want to know?" I sigh.

"How you were in school." Dale pipes up in the silence that follows my question. Then everyone has a request.

"Ok, well. My first few years of school I was that kid that everyone hated because they got lower scores on their report cards. Then I was the kid that everyone hated because I was white and went to an all black school. Then I was the weird country girl that got too high of scores on her tests but did horrible the rest of the time. Then, in high school, I was one of the slackers no one really wanted to mess with."

"You make yourself sound like an outcast Einstein." Dale said. He made it sound like he'd found a kindred spirit.

"Well, I read at a collage level in the fifth grade. It almost made me feel that way." I told him in answer.

"Did you play video games?" Glenn asked. I should have seen that coming from him.

"Yeah." I laughed. "I was in good with the Gamers. I was the only girl they knew that knew more about Halo than they did."

"Sweet!" Glenn cheered. He was a little drunk, so I simply laughed.

"Spend any time in the woods?" I should have known that if Daryl got in on the conversation he would ask something like that.

"A lot more time than you might think. It was my favorite place to play when I was a kid. I've always been more comfortable there than anywhere else. I was never a huge fan of being indoors all the time. Fishing, camping, canoeing. I loved it. I was just never introduced to hunting. My dad talked about it, but he never did any hunting in my lifetime." I answered.

"Shame." Was all he said.

"What song were you humming?" Ayla asked. I glared at her.

"Audioslave. I Am the Highway. You knew that already." I laughed.

"I know. It's just fun making you keep talking to people." She grinned.

"What made you come to Atlanta?" Rick asked. I stayed silent for a moment.

"It was part of a plan my brother came up with. Look for safety in numbers, then leave before they know you're there." I said.

"Why?" Lori asked. "That plan doesn't make any sense."

"It makes more sense than you think. Scout out where the threats could come from in the largest numbers and leave before it becomes a problem. " I huffed.

"Why join the group then? Wouldn't it just be pointless in the end?" Carol asked.

"No, not pointless. Hopeless maybe, but not pointless." I ended the questions there. I wasn't talking anymore.

A bit later I found myself still sitting in that chair, thinking about anything that crossed my mind. I really had no idea what I thought I was doing here with these people. I had followed my brother's plan and we should have just gone home. It would have been the sane thing to do, but for some reason I had decided we'd stay and follow these people. I was not going to sleep well tonight.

* * *

 

The next morning was far calmer and everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Everyone seemed fairly cheerful as T-Dog made breakfast. Glenn looked like he was dying, but it  _was_ his first hangover. He wasn't too happy to see me crawl out of the hall and into a chair with no sign of a hangover, but in bad need of coffee.

"Witch." Glenn groaned at me. I started laughing after I took a sip of my coffee.

"What did I do?" I asked.

"You were drunker than me when you went to bed last night and you don't have a hangover. How?" He hissed.

"I drank maybe half what you did and started drinking water. It gets you drunker, but you don't wake up with a hangover in the morning. Your body is dehydrated after all that drinking." I laughed.

"Where'd you learn that?" Jake asked as he sat down at the table.

"My dad had polycythemia vera…"

"Whoa, that's a big word. What is that?" Rick asked.

"It's a blood disease. The bones make too many red blood cells and platelets." Jenner said as he walked into the kitchen.

"Yeah, that's it. He drank a lot after he found out he had it and an hour before he went to bed he'd drink nothing but water. His doctor told him it was saving his life, but my dad already knew that. He was thinning his blood so they wouldn't have to draw blood from him. My dad was a smart man." I said. I was trying not to show how much it really hurt to talk about him. I was pretty good at it after years of hiding emotions from people.

"Smart man indeed." Jenner agreed.

"How did he die?" Carl asked before anyone could stop him.

"Heart attack." I answered without hesitation. "We lost my mom to cancer not long after that. I'm just glad they never had to see this. It was a favorite topic of the family, but no one thought it'd really happen."

No one seemed to know what to say after that. It was almost funny to me, but some of these people couldn't even deal with deaths in their own families. I didn't want them to try to deal with mine as well.

* * *

 

"I hate to ask one more question, but that clock is counting down. What happens at zero?"

"The basement generators run out of fuel."

"And then? Vi what happens when the power runs out?"

Before the computer ever finished its explanation everyone was on the move. We had to either refuel the generators or get out. I was opting for the second option. Things were going to hell fast and I didn't want to be there anymore. Ayla was scared and Jake was staying with her while I went with some of the others to check for more fuel. Before long the power cut to emergency. Everything was shutting down.

"We have to get out of here."

Soon everyone was in a mad dash to get what they could and try to get out. I remember panic in the group. The screams to let us out. None of it really registered in my mind. Jake was standing just as still as I was. He was thinking of a way out, a way around the computer's protocol. It could be hacked, but that wasn't something I'd ever seen as a priority to learn. Considering what we'd learned, I doubted we'd make it out of here. I wanted to try. I wanted to escape. I didn't snap back into reality until I was being pushed. My legs refused to move of their own will and before long I realized I was being carried. By the time I fully came back I was being dumped on the ground near one of the ground level doors by Daryl.

I looked around a moment before I realized where we were. We were escaping. At least, we were trying to. Something seemed a bit off to my still slightly foggy mind. They had hit the windows with axes, chairs, and they even shot it.

"Bullet Proof. Hey! They glass is bullet proof! The only way to get it to break is with an explosion." That had to be the first intelligent thing I'd said since before I had locked up.

"That first day Rick was with us!" Carol shouted before digging through her purse.

"A nail file ain't gonna help us here." Shane quipped.

"Shut up, you ass monkey." I snapped as Carol pulled a grenade from her purse. "I'll be damned. Some real fire power."

I went to hide below the stairs, but I didn't get very far before the blast knocked me forward on to my hands and knees. "Ow."

We ran for the vehicles, killing walkers as we ran. I watched as someone ahead of me cut off a walker's head, but I didn't see where it went. I tried to avoid the area where the body fell, to stay away from the danger that waited on the ground, but it was no use. As my foot touched the ground next to a fallen head I felt something bite down on the toe of my boot and sharp pain followed along with the crunch of bone.

* * *

 

"Holy shit. Holy shit." I kept saying it over and over again as I sat in Jake's truck staring down at the blood on my boot. Jake cursed as he looked at my foot before looking back at the road. When Ayla figured out what was happening she started to cry.

When we were as far from the CDC as we could get in a short amount of time Jake signaled the others to stop. Jake got out and let the tailgate down as I limped my way to it and sat down. Soon enough everyone was around us trying to decide what to do. Jake unlaced my boot and started sliding it off. I had to wiggle my toes to dislodge them from under the bent metal.

"You weren't bit." Jake announced. I opened my eyes and looked down at my bruised toes. No blood. No bite.

"How the hell did it bend steel?" I asked suddenly. "That doesn't make sense. The human jaw isn't strong enough to do that. All the bones would have broken… oh." I stopped my little rant. "That's why I heard bone breaking."

"It only bent the edge. Go get your other pair out from under the front seat. You'll be ok. There's no broken skin." Jake laughed. The sigh that went through the group was audible. "Some damn good luck you got there girl."

"If that's all I've got then I don't have much to count on." I laughed. I could finally breath again. After everything that's happened. I can finally breath.

 


	7. Chapter Seven: Missing

**Raising Dead**

**Chapter Seven: Missing**

* * *

I listened to the hiss of the radiator hose for what seemed like the thousandth time since we'd been with the group. As soon as we'd stopped I had pulled Ayla on top of the RV with me to keep watch. It had become a normal thing for us since we'd left Atlanta. I tapped my feet against the siding, still not used to the new boots and still not over the idea that I could have died. I picked up the rifle Rick had given me so I wouldn't have to keep taking Dale's and stood up to look around us.

I saw nothing but cars, cars, and –oh, look- more cars. That was the problem. If something were to come at us I'd never see it. "I can't see anything!" I yelled in annoyance. It was just loud enough that everyone could hear me, but it didn't carry far.

"Open your damn eyes." Daryl snapped at me. We'd fallen into this pattern of seeing who could piss who off the fastest. I did a little dance to show him it wasn't bothering me before I stuck my tongue out at him. He huffed and stomped off.

"Children." Dale said as he caught the display. I only grinned to let him know we were getting along in our own way and that nothing was wrong.

"If anyone sees any pixie stix I want them. I could use a major sugar rush right now." I said when I heard requests going around. I turned around and acted like I didn't hear anyone laughing at me. It seemed like I was just there for humor these days, but I'll admit any day that it's better than seeing everyone lose hope. I really didn't want to see the kids lose hope. That thought alone forced me to be as goofy as I could be, which meant I would continue to act like an idiot with Daryl.

Dale joined us so he could get a better look around. I kept my eyes on either side of the road and Ayla watched behind us. I could hear Shane yelling about finding water and wished he'd stop wasting it so the rest of us could have some. I didn't see anything coming out of the woods or from the other side of the road. It felt pretty calm for once. That was before we saw the heard coming.

* * *

 

"AYLA!" I screamed into the empty woods. No one answered my scream. I don't think I've ever screamed like that in my life. Not out of fear and not out of rage. She was lost. I was lost. We had to abandon the RV to keep Dale safe. The three of us just couldn't hide all that well. So we ran. We split up to protect each other. We'd done it at the same time without realizing it. Now I couldn't find her.

I screamed for her again. My throat was raw. I didn't have any water or food. I was going to die out here if someone didn't find me. I put my back to a tree and slid down it. It was no use really. I wasn't going to find her and if I did the chances of her being alive were small. I had lost the one person I had made the biggest promise to. I never broke a promise like that. I'd said I'd never let anything hurt her and here I was with my back to a tree giving up.

Wait, me give up? What the hell wrong with me? I wasn't giving up. I was giving my throat a rest so I could keep calling for her. I wasn't leaving Ayla out here. Dead or Alive. I was going to find her and bring her back.

I picked up my discarded rifle and steeled my resolve. I had to find her. Even if it killed me to do so.

* * *

 

"Ayla and Erin are missing." Glen told Rick, Shane, and Daryl. They had just come back from leading walkers away from Sophia and then trying to find her.

"What the hell you mean 'They're missing'?" Shane snapped. "They were on top of the RV with Dale the last time I saw them." Dale showed up shortly after the statement was done.

"They took off. There wasn't enough room for all three of us. I was about to climb down when they jumped off the sides and ran. They were side by side with walkers behind them when they went into the woods." Dale informed them. "I feel so bad. I shouldn't have told them what I was doing. What will I tell Jake?"

"You said they went into the woods?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah, right over here. I'll show you." Dale was more than a little in shock. Daryl tried to find a trail, but there wasn't one to be found. Plenty of tracks, but nothing else.

* * *

 

At this point I was so tired I was tripping over my own feet. I was glad nothing was chasing me, but with no food or water I was killing myself. The only items on me were the rifle, PX4 Storm, my knife, a lighter, and a pack of cigarettes. I suppose most people would consider what I had to be good luck, but that was far from the truth. I couldn't see to hunt, if I could hunt I couldn't cook, and I couldn't have light or warmth. I'd have to wait out the night in a tree; the only place I'd be safe. I couldn't keep going and I couldn't back track to find the road.

I climbed up a tree and waited for darkness to take me. I woke up several times in the night because of an animal or sometimes a walker moving around under me. The cold really wasn't helping my predicament either.

Once the long night was over I was greeted by an almost empty expanse of woods. It seemed just as desolate as it had before. That would normally comfort me, but I wasn't in the mood for no one being around.

I wanted to see Ayla when I woke up. Looking up at me as though I had done the dumbest thing in the world. I wanted to see Dale laughing at me as soon as I woke up at noon; tired from taking a longer watch than I should have. I wanted to be back with everyone else. I wanted to act like a jackass and make Jake, Carl, and Sophia laugh at me. I wanted to piss Lori off for the thousandth time and confuse Andrea about whether we were friends or not. I wanted to throw still lit cigarette butts at Shane and singe his hair. I wanted to goof off with Daryl and earn Carol's disapproving stare.

I climbed down from my post after taking a look around. I was sore from a night in the tree, but I'd live. I walked a ways away from the tree before looking the way I'd come from the night before. I looked in the direction I'd been going. If I kept going I'd find a building or something eventually. I'd just have to keep going.

As I walked along I listened to everything around me. Once I was about a mile from the tree I'd slept I started to get annoyed at the strangest thing.  _Damn bells. Stop ringing so I can listen!_ I stopped short after the though hit me. Bells? My eyes widened and I started running. Ayla had to be there. She was smart. She'd know I would hear them and come running.

I screamed for Ayla as I ran towards the church. I could hear my name being called from opposite directions. I ran towards where I heard Ayla and found her up a tree with walkers under her. I shouldered the rifle and took aim at its head. As I squeezed the trigger I heard something coming up behind me. I spun around, dropping the rifle as I turned and pulled one of my pistols free; aiming between his eyes. His damn blue eyes. I launched myself at Daryl and hugged him before pulling away from the startled man and punching him in his left shoulder.

"You bastard! What the hell did you think you were doing sneaking up on me like that? I could have killed you!" I snapped, forgetting Ayla was in the tree.

"What the hell was all that for? I didn't do nothing to you." He snapped back. I almost growled at him, but I realized I'd put him in an awkward position when I'd hugged him.

"Sorry, I had a bad night." I sighed. Ayla laughed behind me and I shot her a glare before I looked back at the very confused Daryl. "Where's everyone else?"

He stared at me hard before he answered. "Out front, we cleared out the building. Sophia's still missing."

"What happened?" Ayala asked, shocked. She liked the younger girl and had been watching over her when she wasn't helping me.

"I'll let Rick fill Y'all in on what happened. Everyone'll be glad we at least found you two." Daryl answered.

* * *

 

I was sent back to the highway with everyone else I wasn't too happy about, but I was no good as a tracker. I had a far different style from Daryl and only used mine to ID animals and their size, never to track people.

"It's so quiet." Carol said, longing in her voice.

"I could start singing if it'd make you feel better." I joked, earning a look from Lori and Andrea. No one here but Ayla had ever heard me sing, so they really had no idea if I was any good or not.

"No thank you. " She quipped. "I'm sure Daryl is trying to listen for Sophia."

"Look at that, a comeback when I wasn't joking. Drag your head out of your ass." I snapped. I hated it when people decided that I was playing on what was wrong. I was trying to make her feel better and she was being a bitch.

"What song would you sing at a time like this?" Lori asked, taking the same route as Carol.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe something by The Bare Naked Ladies?" When no one caught on to my humor I gave in. "I was thinking of something more along the lines of Stand in the Rain by SuperChick." Ayla smiled at my choice, but apparently no one else had ever heard of her. "Oh come on! It's a good song." I thought it over for a second. "Hell, maybe it's better for me to hear it right now. Damn."

"Erin don't say that. You should just do it anyway and shut them up." Ayla said, taking my side in a heartbeat.

"I would," I said. "But honestly, I'd rather not give them anything nice to listen to."

I walked next to Daryl so I wouldn't have to deal with them anymore. "You should be nicer to her." Daryl said, just loud enough I could hear him.

"I WAS being nice." I hissed. "She just decided to take it out on me. I didn't deserve that and she had no right to do it."

"You're right, but she just lost her little girl." He said trying to get me to calm down.

"And I almost lost Ayla. I'm sorry, but she meant more to me. She's basically family to me." I growled.

"Just be nicer. Comfort her or something." He told me, sounding a bit uncomfortable. I almost laughed.

"I'm no better with people than you are. That's probably the only reason I get along with you. No mushy weird shit." I confided. Ayla knew how bad I was when it came to people.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Daryl asked in a growl.

"It just means you don't expect me to get all mushy and… hell, I don't know. You just don't expect me to be anything more than me." I blurted. I am no good at this shit.

"Yeah," he said. "Same with you."

The conversation had gotten really awkward and no longer wanted anything to do with it.

"Have you ever seen what walking stupidity looks like?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"Maybe. Who're you talking about." He shot me a confused look.

"Who do I hate the most of all the people I hate in this group." I asked, giving him a bored look.

"Shane ain't that bad. He made a bad choice one time and you've hated him since then." Daryl scolded. "You're too short to have all that attitude."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, looking surprised. "Are you calling me short mister I-have-too-much-height-for-my-own-good?"

The conversation continued like that for some time. Just easy banter. That's how we got along so well. Neither of us wanted anything more than what we were.

 


	8. Chapter Eight: Here We Go Again

**Raising Dead**

**Chapter Eight: Here We Go Again**

* * *

 

I sat with my back against one of the many oak trees surrounding our little camp away from home. Or should I say our little camp away from the Greenes' home? Anyway, it had been days since Sophia had gone missing and Carl had been accidentally shot by the guy name Otis. Honestly, every time I looked at him I imagined either a cat or a pug since I can't remember who was who. I would actually kill to see Milo and Otis right now. Hell, I'd kill to see a shitty movie right now. That's pretty cold of me since the guy died getting the supplies Hershel had needed to save Carl.

Right. I lost track of what I was talking about. The Greenes had been nice enough to let us camp here until we can find Sophia and Carl gets better. Despite the shit storm that the past few days have been, I'm in heaven. I had only lived on four acres back in Montgomery, but we'd had a small farm going. This place was like a larger version of home.

My good buddy Daryl (he would kill me if I ever told him that) had taken one of the Greenes' horses out earlier that day. I was about a nervous about that as the horse had looked. I had the feeling she wasn't bomb-proof. Then again, I was rusty on my horse skills since my pain in the ass Mustang had one mode: force you to chase him just to give him something. Who knows, I could be wrong about the horse.

Ayla was in the house hanging out with Carl when Lori wasn't watching. I tended to pop into the window, crack a joke, and dip out before she knew I had been there. Ayla was a hell of a lot braver than me. I didn't feel like having my face chewed off by a deranged housewife. Low blow? Maybe. Necessary? Hell yeah. That woman tried to rip into me for breathing. All I could ever wonder was if she really thought people around here were blind. Most of us knew she had been fucking Shane and now they were having some kind of fucked up lovers' spat. Jeeze.

Speaking of a certain bastard I hate, I think it's really suspicious how he came back. I mean come on. We aren't blind! Anyone could see that chunk of hair missing that looked like a living, breathing person had ripped his hair out. I doubt Lori did it. Oops, there I go again. As I was saying, there are a lot of holes in what he told everyone. Or I could just be paranoid. I could see that being a possibility.

Ayla and I had taken to doing chores just for the normality. I missed my chickens and I had a tendency to ask Hershel a ton of questions about free ranging at a time like this. Not to mention the normal Southern predator problems. He really seemed to like talking to me about things like that. Ayla, too. I guess we seemed like the most intelligent out of the bunch. It's just how we were raised.

On the bright side of this crazy place with its kinda weird rules, I had a constant source of power for my Mp3 player. I had really missed listening to it. It had died and I had no way to charge it. Most of the outlets in the RV were burnt out. I was happy to get a little Erin time in. It consisted of zoning out and listening to music. Sometimes I wandered around where I could be seen easily during my times of self induced deafness. All in all I loved being here.

But not all is well in paradise. I mean it. A lot of people are on edge here and I don't really blame them. The shit hit the fan pretty quickly after the herd passed us and... well, you know what happened.

Ayla and Glenn were... I honestly don't know what's going on there. Glenn is fawning over Maggie and Ayla acts like she doesn't care in the slightest. It seems like I'm missing a lot around here. I mean, Lori is trying to rip my face off more than usual. Carol is acting like she doesn't even care her daughter is missing even though you can hear her crying at night. Shane is acting even shiftier than usual.

Our little world is crumbling and I'm sitting back like it isn't. Damn. I just ruined my own peace.

I stood up from my beloved place and walked to the RV for some contemplation time with my two favorite old guys that never seem to change.

"Got any room up there for me?" I ask with a scowl. I'm practically turning into Daryl.

"Sure, sweetheart." Dale says as he picks up my favorite chair and unfolds it for me. I flop into it, hoping they notice somethings up with me so I don't have to start a conversation with them.

"What's wrong?" Jake finally asks after fifteen minutes. I'm almost never quiet, so it's a dead give away for them.

"Is it just me or is there something weird going on with almost everyone in this group? I'm not including our gracious hosts," I say in a rush. They both look over at me before Dale answers my rushed question.

"No," he says. "It's not just you. There's a lot of stuff going on and everyone wants to keep it to themselves."

I thought on that a bit. Yeah, makes sense. They don't want everyone either in their business or pitying them. I state as much and am met with silence. Really?

"Some things shouldn't be hidden from others no matter how much they want to think otherwise," Jake says and turns back to watching the road.

"You mean Shane, don't you?" I ask bluntly. I'm almost 100% certain that's what he means and he doesn't disappoint.

"I'm not so sure he's telling the truth about what happened at that school," Jake says slowly. "I don't think Otis wanted to be a martyr. Man had family to provide for, dieing kid or no. It doesn't add up."

I sigh. I had been thinking close to the same thing, but it kinda sucks to have it confirmed. Well, considering how much I hate Shane it doesn't really suck. The thing is that that coward didn't deserve to be the one to walk out of there alive.

"On one hand I can't believe he would do something underhanded," I find myself saying. "On the other, I fucking hate that bastard and wish he had died instead of Otis. Aw hell, what am I saying? I  _can_  believe it and that makes it even worst." I throw my hands in air and let out a sound of frustration. I can kinda hear Dale scolding, but I had already tuned him out as I tried to figure out a way to make him admit whatever he'd done without getting myself killed.

Needless to say, I didn't come up with anything that didn't involve my usual recklessness.

 


End file.
